Secret ballots for Congress, but not for workers
By Examiner Editorial
- 11/14/08
But according to Education and Labor Chairman George Miller, and to those same union bosses, the right to a secret ballot ought to be stripped, by law, from American workers. Instead, the union bosses should be able to monitor individual workers' votes on whether or not to unionize - in other words, whether or not go give those same bosses more power. How convenient for the union bosses, who will be able to strongarm workers to adopt the union label. And for liberal Democrats like Miller who act as their marionettes.
Miller and his compatriots, the same ones who today or tomorrow will vote in secret about whether or not to strip Lieberman of his power, have said one of the top items on their agenda is the Orwellian-named "Employee Free Choice Act," otherwise known as "card check" legislation, that would let labor leaders (and bullies) know exactly which workers to lean on for votes.
Yet here's what Miller, joined by 15 other congressional liberals in the guise of overseeing trade agreements with Mexico, wrote on Aug. 29, 2001, to a Mexican council: "We feel that the secret ballot is absolutely necessary in order to ensure that workers are not intimidated into voting for a union they might not otherwise choose." Yet now they would deny American workers what that same letter called a "labor right." The hypocrisy is breathtaking.
It's also incredibly wrongheaded. Consider that the heavily unionized "Big Three" automakers say they are in such dire straits that only a federal bailout can keep them from shedding hundreds of thousands of jobs in bankruptcy. Yet other car companies with non-unionized factories in the South are doing just fine. Clearly, those non-unionized workers have far better job security. Why take away their right to choose for themselves whether unions are beneficial? "Card check" is a threat both to workplace democracy and to job creation. It ought to be permanently abandoned.
8 Comments
Reader Comments:
POSTED Nov 17, 2008
AFL see you go: "Half of the American and new American people voted for socialism. Its not the end of the world, or the USA. Its time the sheeple rise up and kick the *^$& out of the Republicans and Democrats in the house. This is still America , Miller no doubt is a proud card carrying Socialist"POSTED Nov 17, 2008
Tom fr Oklahoma: "I saw the usually thoughtful Sen. Dorgan discussing Lieberman on TV yesterday. He consistently retreated from answering questions to making the decision in secret and voting by secret ballot. It struck me as strange that he would insist on a secret ballot when he should be accountable and deny it to others voting only in their own behalf. Glad to see this editorial."POSTED Nov 17, 2008
Tom fr Oklahoma: "I saw the usually thoughtful Sen. Dorgan discussing Lieberman on TV yesterday. He consistently retreated from answering questions to making the decision in secret and voting by secret ballot. It struck me as strange that he would insist on a secret ballot when he should be accountable and deny it to others voting only in their own behalf. Glad to see this editorial."POSTED Nov 17, 2008
Buffer: "This is just so much BS! How easily they forget for whom they work. Can any of us do a days work, and then not show our BOSS what we did for him that day? I think not. We would be quickly shown the door. If it works for us and our bosses, then does it not make sense to do the same with our HIRED HELP? Indeed, they have forgotten from whence they came."POSTED Nov 17, 2008
Buffer: "This is just so much BS! How easily they forget for whom they work. Can any of us do a days work, and then not show our BOSS what we did for him that day? I think not. We would be quickly shown the door. If it works for us and our bosses, then does it not make sense to do the same with our HIRED HELP? Indeed, they have forgotten from whence they came."POSTED Nov 17, 2008
Buffer: "This is just so much BS! How easily they forget for whom they work. Can any of us do a days work, and then not show our BOSS what we did for him that day? I think not. We would be quickly shown the door. If it works for us and our bosses, then does it not make sense to do the same with our HIRED HELP? Indeed, they have forgotten from whence they came."POSTED Nov 18, 2008
wordbender@yahoo.com: "Not only should the Big Three be allowed to fail(and thus forced to "re-organize" and cut back on the power of the unions), but other institutions strong- armed by unions should get concessions from them or lose gov't protections, and public dollars, like gov't workers, teachers, cops, firemen, etc. Any public service including unions in its overhead costs should be held strictly to account for every public dollar, and should be barred from political activism and advocacy."POSTED Nov 18, 2008
Jim: "Here we go again, another writer trying to scare you about unions. What are these writers really afraid of? But to set the record straight, EFCA does not eliminate secret ballot elections. Here is what EFCA is really about. People will sign cards if they want a union in their workplace. This usually happens when the employer is trodding on peoples rights. If 50% plus one sign the cards, a union is installed. The employer must then bargain with the wokers. That's not the end. If 30% of those workers want an election, a secret ballot, that is their right and the NLRB will call for a secret ballot election. What I want to know is why it is ok for employers to form unions, aka Manufacturers Association, but those same employer unions work towards the goal of not having their employees form a union."